From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Postal Service issues a stamp featuring a playful painting of the planet, with small green lines surrounding Earth and hand-lettered text. Art director Antonio Alcalá was the stamp artist and designer. Ricky Altizer was the typographer.

The Scott Catalogue number for this issue is 5459.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

This stamp will be issued Saturday, April 18th, with a Denver first-day postmark. Note that there is no automatic distribution of this stamp to post offices.

Updated April 17th:

[press release]
Celebrate Earth Day with A New Forever Stamp

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service honors the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by putting its own stamp on raising awareness of our environment and the communities in which we live and serve. The new Earth Day Forever stamp marks five decades of Americans coming together to celebrate the importance of protecting the environment. The stamp will be available for sale nationwide on April 18.

The Postal Service has canceled the first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Earth Day stamp due to social distancing guidance. News of the stamp can be shared using the hashtag #EarthDayStamps.

On the first Earth Day in 1970, millions of people across America joined to rally against pollution. The event quickly developed into an annual tradition. As time passed, educating children about the environment became a priority, with the annual celebration also providing an opportunity for businesses to showcase new goods and services that are mindful of the environment.

Today, Earth Day remains a high-profile day for people around the world to recognize the importance of the planet and the impact of their environmental footprint. The Earth Day Forever stamp is a reminder for both senders and recipients that we share the atmosphere on our planet.

The Earth Day Forever stamp is being issued in booklets of 20 stamps. Art director Antonio Alcalá created the painting of Earth, using gouache on watercolor paper. The design features small green lines surrounding the blue planet. The title of the stamp runs across the top, and the words “Forever” and “USA” appear along the bottom. Ricky Altizer was the typographer. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Background
In the 1950s and 1960s, as the dangers of pollution were becoming a common concern, a

Crowds gather by a George Washington statue in Union Square for Earth Day celebrations, New York City, April 22, 1970. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

groundswell of support began for a day to celebrate the planet. It gained further traction in 1969 after what was then the largest oil spill in U.S. history occurred off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA.

Soon after the spill, Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-WI), a conservationist who championed legislation to protect natural resources, resolved to unite the nation around environmental causes. Senator Nelson inspired thousands of people to organize environmental teach-ins at universities, schools and community centers around the country. April 22, between college spring break and finals, was chosen as the date for a national observance.

USPS has long been a sustainability leader through a variety of policies and programs, including recycling and renewable energy initiatives. The more than 630,000 employees of the Postal Service are “Putting Our Stamp on a Greener Tomorrow,” with more information available at usps.com/green.

Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps.

Updated March 23rd:
The first-day ceremony for this stamp has been canceled. The stamp will still be issued on April 18th. More details will be announced closer to the issue date.

Updated March 13th:
What do you think of the design?

Updated March 12th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.92″ x 1.36″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.42″ x 1.19″

Updated March 12th from the Postal Bulletin:
On April 18, 2020, in Denver, CO, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Earth Day stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 682600). The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 18, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the stamp features a playful painting of the planet, with small green lines surrounding Earth and hand-lettered text. Art director Antonio Alcalá was the stamp artist and designer. Ricky Altizer was the typographer.

No automatic distribution

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Earth Day Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by August 18, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Earth Day Stamp
Item Number: 682600
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 18, 2020, Denver, CO 80202
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Ricky Altizer, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 175,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.743 x 2.375 in./145.872 x 60.325 mm
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in peel strip area
Marginal Markings: Header: EARTH DAY Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • Plate number in peel strip area • ©2019 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • Promotional text in peel strip area

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

The Postal Service introduces Garden Corsage, a new 2-ounce stamp. This stamp can accommodate the weight of heavy invitations for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and other celebrations, oversize greeting cards for all occasions, and mailings such as small gifts that require extra postage. The stamp features a photograph of a corsage containing a spray of peach roses and a pink ranunculus, accented with deep-pink heather and seeded eucalyptus. A cream-colored lace ribbon entwines the flowers. Garden Corsage is similar in design to the Contemporary Boutonniere Forever stamp, and the two form a natural pair. The corsage was arranged by floral designer Carol Caggiano and photographed by Renée Comet. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

This stamp was issued Thursday, April 2nd, in Crestwood, Kentucky.

The Scott Catalogue number for this issue is 5458.

Updated April 16th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.85″ x 1.38″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.64″ x 0.95″

Updated March 23rd:
The first-day ceremony for this stamp has been canceled. The stamp will still be issued on April 2nd. More details will be announced closer to the issue date.

Updated March 12th:
Technical Specifications:

Issue: Garden Corsage Stamp
Item Number: 585900
Denomination & Type of Issue: 2-Ounce Rate, Non-denominated, Mail Use
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 2, 2020, Crestwood, KY 40014
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Photographer Renée Comet, Washington, DC
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 45,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.05 x 0.77 in./26.67 x 19.558 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 1.19 x 0.91 in./30.226 x 23.114 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.76 x 5.55 in./146.304 x 140.97 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS Cool Gray 7 C
Plate Size: 320 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits in four corners
Marginal Markings: Plate position diagram (8) • 2 Barcodes (585900) • ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • Promotional text

Updated March 6th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.72″ x 1.41″ The pictorial measures 2.39″ x 1.22″

Updated March 4th:
[press release]
Save the Date: Boutonniere and Corsage Stamps Arrive in April
New Stamps Perfect for Mailing Wedding and Other Invitations

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service introduces two stamps for many of life’s special moments. The Contemporary Boutonniere Forever stamp and the Garden Corsage 2-ounce stamp form a natural pair.

The first-day-of-issue event for these stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtags #BoutonniereStamp and #CorsageStamp.

WHO: David E. Williams, chief operating officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service

WHEN: Thursday, April 2, 2020, at 11 a.m. ET

WHERE:
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens
6220 Old LaGrange Road
Crestwood, KY 40014

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at www.usps.com/boutonnierecorsage.

Background: These new stamps reflect the organic style popular for today’s floral designs. Photographs of a boutonniere and corsage were used as the artwork for these chic stamps.

The Contemporary Boutonniere stamp is well suited for RSVP envelopes included inside wedding invitations. It is also a perfect touch for thank-you notes and announcements, in addition to regular correspondence. The 2-ounce Garden Corsage stamp can accommodate the weight of heavy invitations, oversize greeting cards, and mailings that require extra postage.

The flower arrangements in both of these designs create beautiful botanical presentations.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated February 27th:

On April 2, 2020, in Crestwood, KY, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Garden Corsage stamp (Non-denominated priced at the 2-ounce rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 585900). The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 2, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The United States Postal Service introduces Garden Corsage, a new 2-ounce stamp for all of life’s special moments. This stamp can accommodate the weight of:

• Heavy invitations for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrations;
• Oversize greeting cards for all occasions; and
• Mailing small gifts that require extra postage.

The stamp art features a photograph of a corsage containing a spray of peach roses and a pink ranunculus, accented with deep-pink heather and seeded eucalyptus. A cream-colored lace ribbon entwines the flowers. Garden Corsage is similar in design to the Contemporary Boutonniere Forever stamp, and the two form a natural pair. The corsage was arranged by floral designer Carol Caggiano, and photographed by Renée Comet. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

No automatic distribution to post offices.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue-Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Garden Corsage Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by August 2, 2020.

Technical Specifications are not yet available.

Updated February 25th:
The first-day ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, 6220 Old LaGrange Road in Crestwood.

You can reserve a space here.

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

Contemporary Boutonniere is a new Forever stamp similar in design to the new 2-ounce Garden Corsage stamp. It can be used for wedding RSVP cards and is also perfect for party invitations, thank-you notes, announcements, birthday cards, Father’s Day cards and other occasions when a beautiful stamp is fitting. The stamp features a photograph of an arrangement of a burgundy mini-cymbidium orchid bloom, a succulent and a touch of green hydrangea, accented with loops of variegated lily grass. These materials are on trend for today’s modern designs, as arranged by floral designer Carol Caggiano and photographed by Renée Comet. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

This stamp was issued Thursday, April 2nd, in Crestwood, Kentucky.

The Scott Catalogue number for this issue is 5457.

Updated March 23rd:
The first-day ceremony for this stamp has been canceled. The stamp will still be issued on April 2nd. More details will be announced closer to the issue date.

Updated March 6th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.98″ x 1.35″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.62″ x 0.96″

Updated March 4th:
[press release]
Save the Date: Boutonniere and Corsage Stamps Arrive in April
New Stamps Perfect for Mailing Wedding and Other Invitations

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service introduces two stamps for many of life’s special moments. The Contemporary Boutonniere Forever stamp and the Garden Corsage 2-ounce stamp form a natural pair.

The first-day-of-issue event for these stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtags #BoutonniereStamp and #CorsageStamp.

WHO: David E. Williams, chief operating officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service

WHEN: Thursday, April 2, 2020, at 11 a.m. ET

WHERE:
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens
6220 Old LaGrange Road
Crestwood, KY 40014

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at www.usps.com/boutonnierecorsage.

Background: These new stamps reflect the organic style popular for today’s floral designs. Photographs of a boutonniere and corsage were used as the artwork for these chic stamps.

The Contemporary Boutonniere stamp is well suited for RSVP envelopes included inside wedding invitations. It is also a perfect touch for thank-you notes and announcements, in addition to regular correspondence. The 2-ounce Garden Corsage stamp can accommodate the weight of heavy invitations, oversize greeting cards, and mailings that require extra postage.

The flower arrangements in both of these designs create beautiful botanical presentations.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated February 25th:
The first-day ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, 6220 Old LaGrange Road in Crestwood.

You can reserve a space here.

From the February 27th Postal Bulletin:

On April 2, 2020, in Crestwood, KY, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Contemporary Boutonniere stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 572300). The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 2, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Contemporary Boutonniere is similar in design to the 2-ounce Garden Corsage stamp, and can be used for:

• Wedding RSVP cards and party invitations;
• Thank-you notes and announcements;
• Birthday cards;
• Father‘s Day cards, or any occasion when a beautiful stamp is needed.

The stamp art features a photograph of a burgundy mini-cymbidium orchid bloom, a succulent, and a touch of green hydrangea, accented with loops of variegated lily grass. Each of these materials are right on trend for today’s modern designs. The boutonniere was arranged by floral designer Carol Caggiano, and photographed by Renée Comet. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

No automatic distribution to post offices.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Contemporary Boutonniere Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by August 2, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Contemporary Boutonniere Stamp
Item Number: 572300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 2, 2020, Crestwood, KY 40014
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Photographer Renée Comet, Washington, DC
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 200,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.55 x 5.76 in./140.97 x 146.304 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS Cool Gray 7 C
Plate Size: 320 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits in four corners
Marginal Markings: Plate position diagram (8) • 2 Barcodes (572300) • ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • Promotional text

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Maine statehood. Nicknamed the Pine Tree State, Maine became the 23rd state in the Union on Mar. 15, 1820. American painter Edward Hopper (1882-1967) was among the many prominent artists who sought the tranquility of the state’s coastal towns during the summer. His painting “Sea at Ogunquit” (1914) captures the rugged beauty characteristic of Maine. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

Issue date: Sunday, March 15th.

The Scott Catalogue number for this issue is 5456.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated April 26^th:
Linn’s Stamp News reports the first-day ceremony has been rescheduled for September 27th, at the Augusta Armory. It will again be part of the overall state bicentennial event.

Updated March 13^th:

Ceremony postponed!

[press release]
Maine Statehood Stamp Dedication Ceremony Postponed
Stamp will still available for purchase starting Sunday, March 15.

The U.S. Postal Service dedication of the Maine Statehood Forever stamp, scheduled for March 15, 2020, will be delayed due to the postponement of the host event, the Maine Statehood Day Ceremony in Augusta, ME. The Maine Statehood Forever stamp will still be available for purchase starting Sunday, March 15.

The Maine Bicentennial Commission noted that it would reschedule the Statehood celebration for a date when everyone can safely come together to join in observing 200 years of Maine statehood.

The Postal Service will schedule a special dedication for the Maine Statehood Forever stamp at a later date that will likely coincide with the Statehood Day ceremony as planned.

Customers may still purchase the stamps starting Sunday, March 15…

Updated February 24^th:
[press release / ceremony details]
U.S. Postal Service to Issue Maine Statehood Forever Stamp March 15

What: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the 200th anniversary of Maine statehood with a new Forever stamp. Maine became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820.

The picturesque rocky coastline of Maine has long inspired the imagination of writers and artists. American painter Edward Hopper (1882-1967) was among the many prominent artists who sought the tranquility of the state’s coastal towns during the summer. His painting “Sea at Ogunquit” (1914) captures the rugged beauty so characteristic of Maine and is being represented on the stamp, which art director Derry Noyes designed.

The stamp dedication event will be part of the Maine Statehood Day Ceremony activities.

Who: Michael J. Elston, Secretary of the Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service
Janet Mills, Governor, State of Maine
Matthew Dunlap, Secretary of State, Maine

When: Sunday, March 15, 2020, 1 p.m. EDT

Where: Augusta Armory
179 Western Ave.
Augusta, ME 04330

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/mainestatehood.

Background:
Maine celebrates its bicentennial in 2020, but its history of human habitation dates back some 12,000 years to the earliest Native Americans, who are now part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. During the Colonial period, Maine territory was disputed between Massachusetts Bay Colony and French Acadia, who sought allies among and warred against Native Americans. Following the Revolutionary War and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the District of Maine remained part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Maine became an independent state on March 15, 1820. Portland, the state’s largest city then and now, served as the capital until 1827 when the seat of government moved to Augusta, a more geographically central location.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated February 13, 2020:
This stamp will be issued Sunday, March 15th, in Augusta, Maine. This is a change from what was initially announced.

From the Postal Bulletin:

On March 15, 2020, in Augusta, ME, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Maine Statehood stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 476100). The stamp will go on sale nationwide March 15, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Maine statehood. Nicknamed the Pine Tree State, Maine became the 23rd state in the Union on March 15, 1820. American painter Edward Hopper (1882–1967) was among the many prominent artists who sought the tranquility of the state’s coastal towns during the summer. His painting Sea at Ogunquit (1914) captures the rugged beauty so characteristic of Maine. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 476100, Maine Statehood (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Pane of 20 Stamps. Automatic push.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes
of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Maine Statehood Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by July 15, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Maine Statehood Stamp
Item Number: 476100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Statehood
Issue Date & City: March 15, 2020, Augusta, ME 04330
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Art: Edward Hopper
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 20,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in./36.068 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in./39.624 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 5.92 in./183.896 x 150.368 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits in four corners
Marginal Markings: Plate position diagram (6) • 2 Barcodes (476100) • ©2019 USPS • USPS logo
• Promotional text

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark (DCP) measures 2.76″ x 1.46″ The B&W Pictorial Postmark measures 2.64″ x 1.24″

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

This stamp honors champion golfer Arnold Palmer (1929–2016). With drive and charisma, he helped transform a game once seen as a pastime for the elite into a sport enjoyed by the masses. The stamp features James Drake’s action photograph of Palmer at the 1964 United States Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

The stamp is being issued Wednesday, March 4, in Orlando, FL, at the Arnold Palmer Invitation golf tournament. Details below.

The Scott catalogue number is 5455.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated February 6th
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 1.84″ x 1.48″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.72″ x 1.21″ The special postmark, for use by local post offices, measures 2.97″ x 1.18″

Updated February 1 from the Postal Bulletin:

On March 4, 2020, in Orlando, FL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Arnold Palmer stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 475900). The stamp will go on sale nationwide March 4, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

This stamp honors champion golfer Arnold Palmer (1929–2016). With drive and charisma, he helped transform a game once seen as a pastime for the elite into a sport enjoyed by the masses. The stamp art features James Drake’s action photograph of Palmer at the 1964 United States Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 475900, Arnold Palmer (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Pane of 20 Stamps: Automatic push.

There is a special dedication postmark for this issue.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Arnold Palmer Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by July 4, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Arnold Palmer Stamp
Item Number: 475900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: March 4, 2020, Orlando, FL 32862
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Existing Photo: James Drake
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 25,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Pane Size (w x h): 5.92 x 7.5 in./150.368 x 190.5 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 11.84 x 22.75 in./ 300.736 x 577.85 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Arnold Palmer: Professional Golfer • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: Plate position diagram (6) • 2 Barcodes (475900) • ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • Promotional text

[press release]
Legendary Golfer Arnold Palmer to be Honored With Stamp at PGA Tour Tournament Event

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will dedicate a stamp honoring golfer Arnold Palmer (1929–2016), who rose from humble beginnings to become a champion.

The stamp dedication ceremony at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard is open to ticketholders. Limited tickets are available for philatelic media available upon request. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #ArnoldPalmerForever.

For more information, visit usps.com/arnoldpalmer.

WHO: The Honorable Roman Martinez IV, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at 11:15 a.m. EST

WHERE:
Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard
Bay Hill Club & Lodge
9000 Bay Hill Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819

Background: The U.S. Postal Service will dedicate a stamp honoring golfer Arnold Palmer (1929–2016), who rose from humble beginnings to become a champion. With drive and charisma, he helped transform a game once seen as a pastime for the elite into a sport enjoyed by the masses.

During a nearly decade-long period beginning in 1958, Palmer led the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Tour in yearly money winnings four times; won the Vardon Trophy, awarded to the player with the lowest scoring average, four times; and twice earned PGA Player of the Year honors. In 1964, he won his seventh and final major. The six U.S. Ryder Cup teams of which he was a member won the biennial international competition. He captained the team twice, first as a player in 1963, then in 1975. Overall, Palmer won 62 PGA Tour events, the fifth-most of all time, and 92 tournaments worldwide.

The stamp features James Drake’s action photograph of Palmer at the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. Palmer’s name appears in the top left corner and the words “Forever” and “USA” are printed along the bottom of the left edge.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

The Arnold Palmer stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

In 2020, the Postal Service issues Let’s Celebrate!, a new stamp that adds fun to celebratory greeting cards, invitations and gift-bearing envelopes and packages. No matter the occasion — birthday, anniversary, holiday, engagement, new job, retirement — Let’s Celebrate! helps send cheer along with well wishes. The stamp features an array of colorful circles in varying sizes arranged in a random pattern. The letters in the word “celebrate,” cast in a dark green hue, appear inside several brightly colored circles on a white background. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

This stamp will be issued Friday, February 14th, in Mesa, Arizona. That coincides with the ARIPEX stamp show in Mesa.

The Scott catalogue number is 5434.

January 21st: The “killerbar” postmark is also available for this issue, similar to this mock-up: The other two first-day postmarks are shown below.

Updated January 19:
[press release]
A New Stamp to Celebrate
U.S. Postal Service Says “Let’s Celebrate!” with Forever Stamp

What: In February 2020, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Let’s Celebrate! stamp for any joyous occasion. Whether celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, a new job or retirement, this stamp will help mark the occasion.

News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #CelebrationStamp.

Who: Janice Walker, vice president, Corporate Communications, U.S. Postal Service

When: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, 1 p.m. Mountain Time

Where: Aripex 2020 Stamp Show
Mesa Convention Center
263 North Center Street
Mesa, AZ 85201-6628

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP atusps.com/celebrationstamps

Background:.

Like a burst of confetti, Let’s Celebrate! adds an extra dash of color to celebratory greeting cards, invitations and gift-bearing envelopes and packages.

The Let’s Celebrate! stamp features colorful circles in varying sizes arranged in a random pattern. The letters in “celebrate,” cast in a dark green hue, appear inside several brightly colored circles. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

Let’s Celebrate! is being issued as a Forever stamp, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Updated January 2 from the Postal Bulletin:

On February 14, 2020, in Mesa, AZ, the United States Postal Service will issue the Let’s Celebrate! stamp (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 572500). The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 14, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service is pleased to issue Let’s Celebrate!, a new stamp that adds an extra dash of fun to celebratory greeting cards, invitations, and gift-bearing envelopes and packages. No matter the occasion — birthday, anniversary, holiday, engagement, new job, retirement — Let‘s Celebrate! will help send cheer to those deserving of well wishes. The stamp art features an array of colorful circles in varying sizes arranged in a random pattern. The letters in the word “celebrate,” cast in a dark green hue, appear inside several brightly colored circles on a white background. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

Item 572500, Let’s Celebrate! (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) PSA Pane of 20 Stamps: Automatic Distribution

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Let’s Celebrate! Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by June 14, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Let’s Celebrate! Stamp
Item Number: 572500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 14, 2020, Mesa, AZ 85201
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Foil Stamping, Offset, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 300,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone Cool Gray 7
Other: Magenta Foil Luxor 28612, Teal Foil Luxor 361, Orange Foil Luxor 404
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in./ 36.068 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in./39.624 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6 x 7.24 in./152.4 x 183.896 mm
Plate Size: 160 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (572500) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text

Here are the first-day cancels for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.67″ x 1.26″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.62″ x 1.23″

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

Made of Hearts is a continuation of the Postal Service tradition of creating stamps that celebrate love. The stamp features horizontal lines of red and pink hearts on a white background. Toward the center, red hearts in varying sizes replace pink hearts in a formation that creates one large red heart, the focal point of this graphic design. This stamp is just right for thank-you notes, get-well cards or any occasion when love is the perfect message. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp..

The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5430

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

This stamp will be issued Thursday, January 23rd in Memphis, Tenn.

December 20th: Here are the first day cancels for this issue:

The DCP measures 2.63″ x 1.50″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.97″ x 1.48″

Also December 20th::

[press release]
Love Stamp is Made of Hearts

WHAT: Made of Hearts, the latest stamp in the U.S. Postal Service’s Love series, will be issued next month in time for Valentine’s Day. The Forever stamp features horizontal lines of red and pink hearts on a white background.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Made of Hearts Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #LoveStamps.

WHO: David E. Williams, chief operating officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, at 11 a.m. CST

WHERE:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
501 St Jude Pl
Memphis, TN 38105

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/lovestamps.

Background: These new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service will deliver your message in style. Hearts are used to signify more than romantic or eternal love. Hearts are universally understood to symbolize devotion, affection and love.

While issued for use at Valentine’s Day, these stamps need no special holiday. This stamp is just right for thank-you notes, get well cards or any occasion when love is the perfect message.

December 19th: from the Postal Bulletin

On January 23, 2020, in Memphis, TN, the United States Postal Service will issue the Made of Hearts stamp (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 572400). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 23, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Made of Hearts is a continuation of the United States Postal Service tradition of creating stamps that celebrate love. The stamp art features horizontal lines of red and pink hearts on a white background. Toward the center, red hearts in varying sizes replace pink hearts in a formation that creates one large red heart, the focal point of this graphic design. This stamp is just right for thank you notes, get well cards, or any occasion when love is the perfect message. Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp and was art director for this project.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 572400, Made of Hearts (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Pane of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Made of Hearts Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 23, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Made of Hearts Stamp
Item Number: 572400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Love
Issue Date & City: January 23, 2020, Memphis, TN 38105
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 200,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.55 x 5.76 in./140.97 x 146.304 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 22.2 x 11.52 in./ 563.88 x 292.608 mm
Colors: PMS 2035 C Red, PMS 671 Pink C, PMS 670 Pink C, PMS Cool Gray 6 C
Plate Size: 320 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (572400) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

The 43rd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Gwen Ifill (1955–2016), one of America’s most esteemed journalists. The stamp features a photo of Ifill taken in 2008 by photographer Robert Severi. Among the first African Americans to hold prominent positions in both broadcast and print journalism, Ifill was a trailblazer in the profession. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

This stamp was issued Thursday, January 30th in Washington, DC.

The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5432.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

January 29th:

ESPER – the Ebony Society for Philatelic Events and Reflections – is organizing group photos of New Jersey ESPER members buying the Gwen Ifill stamp on its first day (Thursday, January 30th).

The times are 10:15 a.m. at the Scotch Plains post office (536 Park Avenue) and 1:15 p.m. at the Judge Shirley Tolentino/Bergen South Post Office in Jersey City (369 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.)

December 23rd:
[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Issuing Gwen Ifill Black Heritage Forever Stamp Jan. 30

What: The 43rd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Gwen Ifill, one of the nation’s most esteemed journalists. The stamp art features a photo of Ifill taken in 2008 by photographer Robert Severi. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
The Gwen Ifill stamp will be issued in panes of 20.

The stamp dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #GwenIfillForever and #BlackHeritageStamps.

Who: Ronald A. Stroman, Deputy Postmaster General, U.S. Postal Service and Dedicating Official

When: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at 11 a.m. EST

Where:
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church
1518 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/gwenifillblackheritage

Background:
Gwen Ifill was among the first African Americans to hold prominent positions in both broadcast and print journalism.

After graduating from college in 1977, Ifill worked at The Boston Herald American, The Baltimore Evening Sun, The Washington Post and The New York Times. In 1994, she took a broadcast job at NBC, where she covered politics in the DC bureau. Five years later, she joined PBS; she became the senior political correspondent for “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” and moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week” — the first woman and first African American to moderate a major television news-analysis show.
In 2013, she became co-anchor of the “PBS NewsHour,” part of the first all-female team to anchor a national nightly news program. Ifill died in 2016.

Among Ifill’s honors were the Radio Television Digital News Foundation’s Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award (2006), Harvard’s Joan Shorenstein Center’s Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism (2009) and induction into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame (2012). In 2015, she was awarded the Fourth Estate Award by the National Press Club. She received numerous honorary degrees and served on the boards of the News Literacy Project and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which renamed its Press Freedom Award in her honor.

The 2016 John Chancellor Award was posthumously awarded to Ifill by the Columbia Journalism School. In 2017, the Washington Press Club Foundation and the “PBS NewsHour” created a journalism fellowship named for Ifill. Her alma mater, Simmons University, opened the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities in 2018.

December 20th: Here are the first day cancels for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark for this issue 2.49″x1.20″ The B&W pictorial for this issue measures 2.46″ x 1.08″ The “special” postmark measures 2.82″ x 1.15″

December 19th: From the Postal Bulletin

On January 30, 2020, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service will issue the Gwen Ifill stamp (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 475800). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 30, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The 43rd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Gwen Ifill (1955–2016), one of America’s most esteemed journalists. The stamp art features a photo of Ifill taken in 2008 by photographer Robert Severi. Among the first African Americans to hold prominent positions in both broadcast and print journalism, Ifill was a trailblazer in the profession. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 475800, Gwen Ifill (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

There is a Special Dedication Postmark for this issue.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Gwen Ifill Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 30, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Gwen Ifill Stamp
Item Number: 475800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Black Heritage
Issue Date & City: January 30, 2020, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Photo: Robert Severi
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 40,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Custom Gray, Pantone 2715, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in/21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in/24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6 x 8.5 in/152.4 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 12 x 25.75 in/304.8 x 654.05 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: BLACK HERITAGE, Celebrating Gwen Ifill, 43RD IN A SERIES • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (475800) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

October 23rd: PBS has noted this stamp. The story is here.

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

In 2020, the Postal Service is launching its third Lunar New Year series with the issuance of the Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat Forever stamp. The Year of the Rat stamp will be the first of 12 stamps in the series. The Year of the Rat observance begins Jan. 25, 2020, and ends Feb. 11, 2021. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon dance often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a rat is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this time of year. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Camille Chew.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

This stamp will be issued Saturday, January 11, in Monterey Park, Calif.

January 22nd:

VSC member Mary here and “Israel Stamp Reviews” in The VSC’s Facebook Group correctly figured out that Camille Chew’s masks will comprise a series of 12 Lunar New Year Stamps. “The silhouettes of the masks are included on the selvage design,” USPS spokesman Roy Betts tells us. Here’s a look at the entire sheet… and here are just the 12 masks, taken from the selvage to make them easier to see.

December 20th: Here are the first day cancels for this issue:

The DCP measures 2.29″ x 1.43″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.62″ x 1.22″

December 19th: From the Postal Bulletin

On January 11, 2020, in Monterey Park, CA, the United States Postal Service will issue the Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat stamp (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 475600). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 11, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

In 2020, the United States Postal Service will issue the first of 12 stamps in its third Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Rat begins January 25, 2020, and ends on February 11, 2021. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon dance often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a rat is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Camille Chew.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 475600, Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Pane of 20 Stamps
Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 11, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat Stamp
Item Number: 475600
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Lunar New Year
Issue Date & City: January 11, 2020, Monterey Park, CA 91754
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Camille Chew, Providence, RI
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Foil Stamping, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 24,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 7579 Orange, Pantone 7563 Brown, Gold Foil Luxor MTS 413 Gold
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./ 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.25 x 8.5 in./184.15 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 14.5 x 18.25 in./368.3 x 463.55 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (475600) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text

Updated December 11th:

[press release]
Stamp of New Beginnings
USPS to Issue Lunar New Year Forever Stamp Celebrating Year of the Rat

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Lunar New Year with the release of the Year of the Rat Forever stamp. The Year of the Rat begins Jan. 25, 2020, and ends Feb. 11, 2021.

The stamp features a rat mask that calls to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon dance, a hallmark of Lunar New Year parades. The mask is mostly blue, which is said to be one of the lucky colors for individuals born during the Year of the Rat, and incorporates elements with symbolic meaning. Several of the patterns were created with the style of Asian textiles, and the circle in the center of the rat’s head represents the new moon on which the Lunar New Year begins. The yellow motif atop the rat’s head, similar to a crown, highlights the importance of the animal’s position as the first of the 12 zodiac animal signs associated with the lunar calendar. A pop of red, another lucky color, ties the design to other common celebratory decorations.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Camille Chew.

News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #LunarNewYear.

WHO: Luke Grossmann, senior vice president of finance and strategy, stamp ceremony’s dedicating official, U.S. Postal Service.

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, 11 a.m. PST

WHERE: Lunar New Year Festival
Garvey Avenue, between Garfield and Alhambra avenues
Monterey Park, CA 91754

RSVP: The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not necessary.

BACKGROUND:
Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year for many Asian communities around the world and is primarily celebrated by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Malaysian and Filipino heritage.

Known as Tet in Vietnam and the Spring Festival in China and elsewhere, Lunar New Year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice and historically marks the arrival of spring. In communities across the United States, people shop for food and other supplies, hang decorations and ceremonially clean their homes and streets to welcome the new year with a fresh start. Filled with symbolic meaning, the colors red and gold appear everywhere during this auspicious time of year. Red is considered very lucky, while gold is said to bring wealth.

Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price. Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shopstamps under “Collectors.”

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

The Postal Service celebrates the exotic beauty of orchids with 10 new stamps in booklets of 20 and coils of 3,000 and 10,000. Each stamp features a photograph of one of nine species that grow wild in the United States: Cypripedium californicum, Hexalectris spicata, Cypripedium reginae, Spiranthes odorata, Triphora trianthophoros, Platanthera grandiflora, Cyrtopodium polyphyllum, Calopogon tuberosus and Platanthera leucophaea. Orchids also have common names, with some plants having several different names in popular use. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with existing photographs by Jim Fowler.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated April 4th:
The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are:

Coil version:
5435 Platanthera grandiflora, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5436 Cyrtopodium polyphyllum, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5437 Calopogon tuberosus, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5438 Spiranthes odorata, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5439 Triphora trianthophorus (two flowers), serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5440 Cypripedium californicum, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5441 Hexalectris spicata, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5442 Cypripedium reginae, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5443 Platanthera leucophaea, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5444 Triphora trianthophorus (one flower), serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
a. Horiz. strip of 10, #5435-5444

Booklet version:
5445 Triphora trianthophorus (two flowers), serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5446 Cypripedium californiacum, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5447 Hexalectris spicata, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5448 Cypripedium reginae, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5449 Spiranthes odorata, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5450 Platanthera leucophaea, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5451 Triphora trianthophorus (one flower), serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5452 Platanthera grandiflora, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5453 Cyrtopodium polyphyllum, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5454 Calopogon tuberosus, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
a. Block of 10, #5445-5454
b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 2 each #5445-5454

Updated March 2nd: VSC member Mike DePaz at the first day ceremony. A large cover created by DePaz containing all the stamps in both the booklet and coil formats, with autographs of ceremony participants, plus the first-day ceremony program. Jim Fowler, the photographer of the images used on the stamps, holds DePaz’s jumbo FDC.Someone canceling covers at the ceremony site. Photographs courtesy Mike DePaz.

Updated January 21st: Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.38″ x 1.46″ The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.0″ x 1.23″

Updated January 16th:
Note that USPS is selling smaller quantities of the coil varieties of this stamp, through its mail/phone/internet sales:
Coil of 10,000:
760715 Strip of 500, $275.00
760703 Strip of 25 with plate no., $13.75
760716 First-Day Covers (set of 10, $9.90

Coil of 3,000:
750415 Strip of 500, $275.00
750403 Strip of 25 with plate no., $13.75

From the Postal Bulletin:

On February 21, 2020, in Coral Gables, FL, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue Wild Orchids stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 682500), a PSA Coil of 3,000 stamps (Item 750400), and a PSA Coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 760700). The stamps will go on sale nationwide February 21, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service celebrates the exotic beauty of orchids with 10 new stamps in booklets of 20, and coils of 3,000 and 10,000. Each stamp features a photograph of one of these nine species that grows wild in the United States:

• Cypripedium californicum,
• Hexalectris spicata,
• Cypripedium reginae,
• Spiranthes odorata,
• Triphora trianthophoros,
• Platanthera grandiflora,
• Cyrtopodium polyphyllum,
• Calopogon tuberosus, and
• Platanthera leucophaea.

Orchids also have common names, with some plants having several different names in popular use. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with existing photographs taken by Jim Fowler.

No automatic distribution to post offices of any of the three formats:

• Item 682500, PSA Double-sided Booklet of 20 Stamps
• Item 750400, PSA Coil of 3,000 Stamps
• Item 760700, PSA Coil of 10,000 Stamps

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Wild Orchids Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by June 21, 2020.

Technical Specifications – booklet pane:

Issue: Wild Orchids Stamps
Item Number: 682500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 21, 2020, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Photos: Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 500,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.05 x 0.77 in./26.67 x 19.558 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 1.19 x 0.91 in./30.226 x 23.114 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 2.375 x 5.743 in./60.325 x 145.872 mm
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: WILD ORCHIDS Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • ©2019 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • Promo-tional text in peel strip area • Plate number in peel strip area

Technical Specifications – coil of 3,000:

Issue: Wild Orchids Stamps
Item Number: 750400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Coil of 3,000 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 21, 2020, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Photos: Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 3,000
Print Quantity: 15,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in/18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in/22.098 x 24.892 mm
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 540 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp

Technical Specifications – coil of 10,000:

Issue: Wild Orchids Stamps
Item Number: 760700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Coil of 10,000 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 21, 2020, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Photos: Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 50,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in/18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in/22.098 x 24.892 mm
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 540 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp

Updated December 18th: Note that the American Orchid Society has its headquarters in the first-day city, Coral Gables, FL. Nothing about the ceremony, however, is on the group’s website yet.

Updated December 10th: “With 200 species of orchids, why did they choose to use one variety twice? Makes no sense!” asked VSC member Mary.

Replied the USPS, “This booklet was simply intended as a “pretty” booklet for mail use with stamps that represent a visually diverse array of just a few of the orchids native to North America. It was not intended to be comprehensive or inclusive of as many species as possible.”

Updated November 1st: “The image is correct. These are vertically oriented stamps with the Forever USA running vertically up the side of the image. If turned so that the Forever USA reads horizontally the flowers would be lying on their side,” a USPS spokesman tells The Virtual Stamp Club.

Updated October 30th: “The Triphora trianthophoros is shown in two different images on the Wild Orchids stamps,” a USPS spokesman tells The Virtual Stamp Club.

Updated October 30th: These stamps will be issued Friday, February 21st, in Coral Gables, Florida.

Also, regarding why one species was repeated, the USPS replies: “This booklet was simply intended as a “pretty” booklet for mail use with stamps that represent a visually diverse array of just a few of the orchids native to North America. It was not intended to be comprehensive or inclusive of as many species as possible.”